— 50 — 



hyde, perhaps decylic aldehyde. Oxidation of the ketone-fraction resulted 

 in n-caprinic acid. 



Treatment of the oil with potash liquor led to the isolation of the 

 lactone xanthotoxin, a body melting between 143 and 144°. This com- 

 pound may be obtained in considerable proportions by extracting the peel 

 with alcohol. The nitro compound of xanthotoxin (C12H7O4NO2) melts at 

 230°, the dibromo compound, recrystallised from xylene, at 164°. When 

 an alcoholic solution of xanthotoxin is diluted with potash liquor a salt, 

 soluble in water, is formed, a yellow colour ensuing. 



Of acids, the oil contained n-caprinic acid, both in the free state and 

 in combination (m. p. of the amide 98°). The saponification liquor further- 

 more contained acetic acid, as well as a solid acid which was not 

 examined more closely. 



Other constituents of which the presence was proved were dipentene 

 (m. p. of the tetrabromide 124 to 125°), linalool (m. p. of the citryl-/?- 

 naphthocinchoninic acid 198 at 199°), and a sesquiterpene with the follow- 

 ing properties: b. p. 170 to 180° (14 mm.), d i4 o 0,9214, [«] D +4°16 r . No 

 hydrochloride of this sesquiterpene was obtained. 



In the pharmacognostical part of his investigation Priess reviews the 

 examinations of the various Fagara- species which have so far been 

 carried out, and in the course of this he also refers to the oil from 

 "Wartara seeds" described by us. As we were uncertain at the time 

 whether our material was of a uniform character, we caused the fruit to 

 be examined by Dr. Giessler. That authority informed us that the 

 "Wartara seeds" distilled by us were derived from Xanthoxylum acantho- 

 podium, D. C. No fruit of other Fagara- or Xanthoxylum-sp ecies was 

 admixed to the sample. 



Oils of the following Fagara- and Xanthoxylum- species have now 

 been described 1 ): 



Fagara aubertia, D. C. (Evodia aubertia; Xanthoxylum aubertia)' 2 ), 



Fagara Naranjillo, Engl. {Xanthoxylum Naranjillo, Grisebach) 3 ), 



Fagara nitida, Roch. (F. piperita, Lown; Xanthoxylum nitidum, D. C), 



Fagara oetandra (Blanco) 4 ), 



Fagara Peckoltiana, Engler*), 



Xanthoxylum acanthopodium, D. C.°), 



Xanthoxylum alatum, Roxb. 7 ), 



x ) Linnaeus' two genera, Fagara and Xanthoxylum, which had been amalgamated for 

 a considerable time, have recently been separated once more by Engler (Engler-Prantl, Die 

 naturlichen Pflanzenfamilien, Vol. Ill, Sect. 4, p. 115). 



2 ) Report April 1907, 105. 



3 ) This plant contains a terpene (Fliickiger, Pharmacognosie, p. 661). 

 *) Report April 1905, 82. 



5 ) Berichte d. deutsch. pharm. Ges. 9 (1899), 340. 



6 ) Report April 1900, 50; April 1901, 59. 



7 ) Report October 1910, 147. 





